St. Moritz: Ladies Super Combined

Yesterday, Friday, December 7, the ladies super combined, consisting of a round of super g and a slalom took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Both the super g, drawn by the coach of Austria, the slalom run, drawn by the Italian, have been dominated by a wonderful Tina Maze, precise, powerful and always on the ski. This year, the Slovenian game is really amazing with a fighting spirit, also supported by an excellent shape, which allows her exceptional performance.

Second is a Nicole Hosp that, like last year, is at her best in the combined, because this hybrid discipline allows her to make good use her skills as a versatile, while she ecounters more difficulties, after the two bad injuries she incurred in, in the “pure” disciplines.

Again on the podium, third, is Kathrin Zettel, this year really explosive, author of a splendid super g, where she signs the ninth partial time, and of course a wonderful slalom run, a specialist who is she.

Maria Riesch is fourth and she seems less aggressive than usual, as well as the American Lindsey Vonn, who after having signed the fourth time in super g, slips away during the slalom.

Good is the run of Lara Gut, who arrives fifth, in front of her audience, and who ranks second in the super g and also shows us an excellent slalom, also considering the few summer training in this discipline, since she decided not to compete in this season between the rapid gates.

Interesting is the sixteenth place of the Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinkel, winner of the combined title on the Junior World Championship in Roccaraso, together with the giant title and super-g bronze, shows us a great style and great qualities of versatility.

Regarding the Italians important is to emphasize the presence of Nadia Fanchini, who starts again in the speed disciplines right on slope where, just before the Olympic Games in Vancouver, she had incurred in a very bad injury, facing her fears with courage and driving away the ghosts of the past.

The best of the Italians was Elena Curtoni, twelfth, which, in addition to super g, pulls out grit and class in slalom. Seventeenth instead Daniela Merighetti, who recovers the super g, not gone well, with excellent slalom. Eighteenth is Federica Brignone, who shows to take a good confidence with the speed in the super g run. Twentieth is Francesca Marsaglia, showing a good style in slalom, Lisa Agerer twenty-seventh, a bit on the defensive in the super g, due to a change in visibility durations hes descent, and thirtieth ranks Camilla Borsotti.

Interesting technical information for fans are the new measures introduced this year by the FIS for ladies super g skis, who is now a minimum of 2.05 meters (although some athletes like Lindsey Vonn, use a 2.10 meters ski, more tiring in turns, but capable of more speed) and a radius of curve that goes from 33 m to 40 m; another interesting information is the introduction of fluorescent bands at the base of the poles so that it is easier to see irregular steps.

As in any race, the athletes give us a lot of emotions and soon, this comment will be followed by the today races, the ladies super-g and men slalom.